{Across The Cosmos: The Solar System}

{Chapter 9: Retrieving the Fragments}

Off Andromeda went, starting to fly towards Venus. As she did, she looked around and took a minute to admire the stars and dust in the air. Comets passed by as bright as a million diamonds.

Although space was a broken yet gorgeous place, Andromeda kept her focus on retrieving the fragments. They mattered a lot to her for a reason she didn't know about yet.

Andromeda looked down at the satchel, inspecting its pattern. It had a light gold exterior and a chestnut brown interior. The gold shimmered when Andromeda raised it to her chest, her sweater reflecting off of it.

Suddenly, Andromeda noticed that Sombra was starting to come nearby, so she quickly teleported behind an asteroid. Holding her breath, Andromeda kept quiet so she wouldn't be found. However, she now found herself to be eavesdropping on a conversation.

"You are making a big mistake, Sombra. Leave her alone." An unfamiliar feminine voice said, sounding annoyed.

"I don't care whether I solve a problem or add to it. I want that failure of a guardian gone and I want her gone as soon as it gets." Sombra said, starting to reload a crossbow.

Andromeda held her mouth shut, trying not to wince from the sound of the crossbow being loaded. All she could do was fly there quietly and not draw any attention to herself.

Her eyes widened as she overheard Sombra cry out in pain. She took a peek enough to see, and enough to also not be seen.

"Ugh, stop! You don't need to keep doing this!" Sombra yelled, rubbing her arm.

All Andromeda could see was a needle as the unfamiliar voice spoke. "You cause all this commotion in the Solar System, yet you whine like a little child over a simple analysis."

Andromeda had looked confused. Who was that guardian and why did they just do that to Sombra? Why wasn't Sombra fighting back? There were too many questions in Andromeda's head.

Sombra shoved the unfamiliar guardian away from her, putting both of her crossbows on the sides of her belt.

She glanced at the guardian, bothered by them interrupting her.

"Why are you even here? Your stupid little analysis can wait until I'm not trying to hunt another guardian down."

"What does it matter to you? You only care because someone is unfazed by your tough-wanna-be attitude for a change." The unfamiliar voice retaliated, making Sombra go completely silent.

Andromeda teleported away into her blackhole, letting out a loud laughter to herself. She didn't enjoy laughing at others being insulted, but Sombra had it coming the minute they met.

When Andromeda stopped laughing, she decided to teleport back to that spot. Her curiosity to see if they were still speaking got the better of her as she took another peek.

"For the last damn time, I want her gone, and you aren't going to stop me."

Suddenly, Andromeda heard a smack noise, followed by Sombra going "ouch".

"Let me tell you something." The unfamiliar guardian grabbed Sombra by the neck and threw her into the asteroid Andromeda was hiding behind, causing her to flinch quietly.

Sombra tried to move, but her body was partially stuck in the asteroid. The moment she looked up, the unfamiliar guardian was staring dead into her eyes.

"You've got a lot of nerve acting like your ways are helpful. The way you hurt everyone around you and almost everything too. Fine, go hunt someone who's more successful than you. Watch her beat you in that race of seeing who actually has a soul."

Sombra kicked the unfamiliar guardian off of her and popped out of the asteroid, soaring over with haste to start fighting.

Andromeda saw this and teleported off, not wanting to see them fight. She wanted to join in and support the guardian, but she knew Sombra would have her head if she even saw her again.

"Andromeda!" Hyperion suddenly called out. Andromeda turned and immediately got picked up. Nori arrived as well, inspecting her.

"G-guys, I'm okay," Andromeda stuttered since she was being moved around a lot. "I just teleported off for a bit to think. Until.."

"Until what, little one?" Nori dusted off Andromeda's sweater.